A person with a disability may be uniquely qualified to provide assistance to another with a disability.

There is an old Native American saying:

To understand anothers' life, walk a mile in his or her moccasins.

People
without disabilities are often unaware of physical and cultural
barriers, or they may oversimplify a consumer’s concern if they don’t
understand what full access means. For this reason, ILRC hires individuals who themselves have personal experience with a disability.

One
of the basic tenets of the Independent Living philosophy is that people
with disabilities are better equipped to assist others with similar experiences because they’ve “been there, done that.”

Many
ILRC consumers feel that someone with a lifestyle similar to theirs can
provide enhanced services. ILRC staff have had personal experience with
barriers in their own lives and can instruct consumers in how to
clearly communicate their needs, using their own experience and training
in the principles of full access.

Peer
support empowers consumers to handle a variety of situations involving
barriers to access, discrimination, or cultural bias.